"Are you certain we can stay there?"

"Of course," Harold said with a big sigh as he slouched in the carriage seat and rested his head on her shoulder.

Alice raised her hand to lightly touch the side of his face. "Your face is too swollen."

"Then should we wait until I am fully recovered?"

"And allow my mother enough time to come after us? Are you bloody crazy?"

Harold chuckled. "Ah, this is why I bloody love you."

Alice smiled.

Outside, the road was dark. The next lamppost had gone off and the next lit one was quite far. The only light for the driver was the carriage lamp.

"How many of his fingers did you break?" she asked, clasping Harold's hand in hers.

"I broke his face," he murmured sleepily.

Her brows rose. "With?"

"A glass. And my fist."

Alice's smile widened. She turned her head to plant a kiss on the top of his head. "I am proud of you, darling."

*****

Devonshire was multiple times bigger than Langworthy.

One could see it from miles away, but not merely because it was humongous, but because it had its own holes, streaming the entire estate with light. It was probably amongst the several estates with their own holes, enabling them to grow their own crops. Up close, the entire estate seemed like a town in itself for Alice.

"It is quite intimidating," Alice said as the carriage drove into the driveway.

Harold paused from straightening his coat and grinned at her wickedly. "There also happens to be a monster living alone inside, darling."

Alice slapped his arm and he chuckled.

"And he eats people alive."

"Stop it," she said, pushing him toward the door when the footman finally opened it.

"Dare not say I never warned you," he told her before jumping out of the carriage. He held out his hand to guide her to the ground.

An old man with bald head emerged from the doorway. "My lord!" the butler welcomed them with a big smile, carefully walking down the stairs of the grand entrance. "This is a surprise!"

"Do not comment on how I look. I know I look horrid," Harold said when he saw the surprise in the man's eyes. ""Please inform my father of my arrival at once, Norman. "

The butler did not move as his gaze fell upon Alice.

"Norman," Harold said, waving a hand in front of the old man. "Are you all right?"

The butler blinked and gaped at Harold. "You have brought a woman with you, my lord. "

Harold frowned at him. "What woman are you talking about, Norman?"

The man blinked in confusion and turned to look at Alice again. "The one standing beside you. She is—"

"I came alone, Norman," Harold said, face straight and serious.

Alice and Norman both turned to him in confusion. "But, my lord, I can clearly see—"

"Leave the poor man alone, Harold," said Alice wryly.

Harold remained motionless as he frowned at Norman.

"My lord! You are playing tricks again, are you not?" Norman asked.

"He is," said Alice, rolling her eyes. "You are not imagining things, Norman."

"Are you certain you are all right, Norman?" Harold asked again.

"My lord, s-she is—I can see her! She speaks! Surely you are playing a trick!"

"I do not see or hear anyone else but you, Norman," Harold insisted. "We ought to call for the doctor. You are hallucinating. What has the cook been feeding you?"

The old man gasped, eyes panicked. "B-but—"

"Harold!" Alice said, smacking his arm, pushing him away from him and he laughed out loud.

Norman sighed with relief. "Oh, good God..."

Harold wrapped an arm around Alice and drew her closer to him, laughing as he did so. "Go and inform father his son has arrived with a bride."

Norman's eyes widened in surprise and he exclaimed, "A bride!"

"A bride," Harold proudly said.

Norman nodded and turned to rush up the stairs.

Alice glared at Harold as he led her up the stairs. "You did not have to do that to the old man."

Harold chuckled. "I could not help it, darling. This is the first and last time I can play that joke on him."

Alice scoffed and shook her head.

*****

The door to the parlor burst open followed by the booming voice of Albert Everard. "Good that you decided to come home or should I say came into hiding from the place you escaped from because you got yourself in trouble again!"

Harold and Alice stood without a word and simply stared as the man continued his tirade while bent on a copy of The Town Herald.

"The least you can do is be part of a useless scandal, Harold!" the paper flew across the room. "Now, tell me why your name is printed in bold letters in the bloody gossip sect—"

The rest of the old man's words were left unsaid the moment he lifted his head and his eyes landed on Alice.

Alice wore an awkward smile before she curtsied. "Good day, my lord."

"Father," Harold said, clearing his throat.

Lord Devonshire blinked, disbelief in his eyes. "You brought a woman."

Harold turned to Alice. "I am quite surprised Norman did not inform him."

"Alice Archibald, my lord," Alice introduced herself. When the old man simply blinked, Alice searched for a distraction and she found it on the paper lying on the floor. "Would you care to tell us what they have said so far?"

Harold was grinning at his father as he added, "Yes, father. Pray tell what kind of gossip brought out the beast in you."

The man's nostrils flared but he paused when he finally had a good look of his son. "Is that from the Grey's fiasco?"

"The Grey's fiasco?"

"That is how they call it in the Herald."

Harold cleared his throat. "Yes."

"Did you win like reported?"

"Yes, I believe we did." Harold sighed. "You were saying, Father?"

The anger returned to the man's face. "Everyone is talking about the confrontation you had with a certain woman in a bloody café!"

Alice's head snapped toward Harold. She narrowed her eyes. "Which woman?"

Harold sighed. "Lady Gedge."

"Lady Gedge?"

Harold rolled his eyes. "She spread the scandal started by our mutual friend, Sebastian."

"Oh," Alice said, finally understanding the sequence of events.

"What else did you do, Harold?" his father demanded.

"I escaped Wickhurst with Alice because we are planning to elope to Tiny Town."

Lord Devonshire's eyes turned to Alice. "I am already aware of that."

"Good."

"Is there anything else I need to know before another copy of that thing," Albert Everard pointed at the paper on the floor, "finally puts me to my death bed?"

Alice was looking at the Lord of Devonshire in surprise. "You are not angry about the scandal?"

"I want him to marry," said the old man. "Why would I be angry that he finally had the courage to take a wife?"

"But you are furious about Lady Gedge?" Harold droned.

"Well, yes! He attacked a woman!"

"I did not attack her, father."

"I meant you attacked a gossipmonger!"

"I did not attack her," Harold insisted.

"You humiliated her."

Harold sighed. "Very well. But I am not going to apologize."

"Good," the Lord of Devonshire said with finality. "Next time, stay away from her kind, do you hear me?"

"Of course."

Albert Everard nodded with satisfaction and turned to Alice. "I am sorry you had to witness that, my dear. Welcome to Devonshire."

Alice forced a smile. "Thank you, my lord."

"When do you plan to leave for Tiny Town?" he asked, gesturing to the settee.

They two of them followed the man and returned to their seats.

"The soonest you give us your blessing," Harold replied with a teasing tone.

"My blessing is the last thing you need." Albert waved his hand to disregard his son's statement. "You can leave now if you are in haste."

"We leave on the morrow," Harold said. "Alice and I need rest."

His father stared at his battered face. "I can see that you do." The man sighed and rang for a servant. "Please escort Lady Alice to a bedchamber."

"The west wing, if you may," Harold said with a smile.

His father rolled his eyes and waited until Alice had left the room. He stood and went to Harold, his large form casting a large shadow over him as he bent and whispered, "Son, her mother might be a believer of the curse."

"Yes, I know."

"Do you plan to leave very early?"

"Yes."

"Good. We do not know how fast her carriage can take her to Tiny Town should she decide to intervene."

*****

After Alice had settled, Harold invited her for a walk around the plantations.

"Should I even bother to guess whose clothes are you wearing?"

Alice smiled. "The young man who owned this shirt and trousers must not have had any adventure in his youth."

He scoffed. "Pardon?"

Alice looked down at her clothes. "I do not see any sign that they had been patched at some point."

He grabbed clasped her hand in his and wickedly said, "That is because I spent most of my time out of them, darling."

Her eyes narrowed at him. "As much as I do understand that you had lovers before me, Harry, I would hate to find you in any state of undress unless it is within our home and in my presence or that of your valet."

Harold chuckled, squeezing her hand. "I would dare not, love."

"You have had enough lovers."

"Alice, I understand what you mean. You will kill me if I ever find another."

She nodded in satisfaction. "I am relieved that we understand each other very well."

He paused and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips. "As I am. Now, do pray tell how you find my old man."

"He is manageable."

"Ha! He would hang us both if you ever say that word in his face."

"I also thought he was charming earlier, but I did not say it out loud for I know he would hate it."

"Yes, he would."

"Then what does he like?"

"More heirs."

Alice chuckled. They finally reached the stables where their horses were already waiting to take them to the plantations. "We ought to work on that the soonest we can."

*****

Later that evening, Alice was not surprised when her door slowly opened and Harold crept in wearing naught but his nightwear.

"Do not tell me you are still ravenous after that sumptuous meal," Alice whispered, moving the under covers to allow him more space beside her.

He huffed as he slipped into bed beside her and gathered her in his arms.

"We are not going to start on an heir tonight, darling," he whispered back against her forehead. "But tomorrow... tomorrow you would have to prepare."

Alice pressed closer, wrapping her arm around his waist and tilting her head in search for his lips.

The intention of a light kiss turned into something hungry and demanding for them both. She was pushed on her back with him on top of her and between her legs, in no time. His mouth traveled along her jaw and down her neck while his hands slid lower.

Harold groaned when he realized something.

"What is it?" Alice asked innocently.

He raised his head from her left breast. "You are wearing my old nightwear."

"Not very convenient for you?" she asked with a chuckle.

"And you took a bath."

"The soap was fantastic."

"You smell wonderful."

She nodded. "I do smell the same all over."

He rose on both arms with a calculating look on his face.

"You are trying to assess whether or not you will strip me naked or wait until the morrow," Alice concluded with amusement.

He ground his hips against hers to prove to her the difficult decision he had to make.

"Perhaps you should not have come here tonight after all," Alice said, wrapping her legs around him.

"I do have no reason to stop," he said, bending his head to kiss her nose.

"As do I," she added in agreement, running her hands down the small of his back.

"And no one surely has any intention to barge into your chamber. Not in this household, no."

"Very well," Alice retorted, pulling her nightshirt lower to her waist, "we can always start on that heir tonight."

Harold nodded. His face was still swollen, but the desire in his emerald green eyes burned bright. "There is a fair chance that we will fail on that regard tonight."

"Precisely, my lord," she said, a satisfied sigh escaping her lips at her last word as his hand cupped one breast. "And we can try again on the morrow."

He bent his head and teased one breast. "In the carriage."

"Yes," she murmured, closing her eyes.

"Before the wedding."

Alice gulped and nodded as his hands unwound her legs from around his hips and pulled the rest of her clothing lower.

"And after the wedding," he whispered in her ear before claiming her mouth for a hungry onslaught.

After a short struggle with the fabrics that separated them, he guided himself into her and paused to look into her eyes, his emerald green ones glimmering with unshed tears. "And more after that," he murmured.

Alice nodded as a tear ran down her temple. She understood what he meant.

And it meant everything.